Latch



(Model.)

u e .n s e e h s 2 X I. M EH. .C JM owL M R No. 288,288. Patented Aug. 14, 1888.

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E. M.` ai J. E. MIX.

LATCH.

No. 283,268] Patented Aug. 14, 1883.

WITNESSES V INVENTORS,

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UNITED fr STATES EUGENE M. MIX AND JAMES E.

PATENT )EEICE MTX, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 283,268, dated August 14:, 1883.

Application tiled May 8, 1883. (Model.)

To all whom t may concern;

Be it known that we, EUGENE M. MIX and JAMES E. MIX, citizens of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Latches, of which the following is a specication.

i This invention relates to improvements in that class of latches which are provided with t`wo independent knob-Shanks for actuating the latch-bolt, especially to that class wherein the knob-shanks have hooked ends to engage the latch-case, and cams to operate on the sliding yoke which connects with the latch-bolt.

The object of our invention is Ato provide means whereby we are enabled to retain the ordinary rotating hubs in lrnob-latches,and at the same time make a perfect adjustment to thicknesses of doors without the necessity of employingt'he usual spindle7 side knob-screws, or other fastening devices, and dispensingwith the employment of washers. This object we accomplish in the manner and by the means hereinafter described and claimed, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whicht Figure 1`is a broken side view oi' a mortis'elock latch applied to a door and.. embodying our invention, the knob-shanks being omitted; Fig. 2, a sectional vieu7 on the line x :c of Fig. 1, the knob-Shanks being in position; Fig. 3, perspective views of the knob shanks, the yokes, the latchbolt, and the yoke-operating hubs; Fig. 4, a detached vperspective view of one ofthe hubs; and Fig. 5, a perspective view,

rlhe lock and latch mechanism may be of any suitable or desirable construction, and therefore we do not deem it essential to further illustrate the interior `mechanism of the lock and latch casing. The latch-bolt number 1, as usual, is impelled .to its .outer position by a coiled spring, and is retracted by a sliding yoke. YIn Figs. 1, 2, and 3 there are showntwo yokes, 2, arranged side by side, to engage the latch bolt, each yoke being independently moved by one of the knob-Shanks, 3, through the instrumentality of a hub, 4', having lugs 5, to engage with projections 6 on the arms. 7 of each yoke.` The hubs 4 are provided with angular sockets 8,`at the inner edge of each of which is a lateral recess, 9, with which engagcs the hook 10 on the inner end of the Vknobshanks 3, by which means the knob-shank is held against displacement by being drawn outward, and the latch-bolt canbe moved through the rotation of the hubs. rllhe hubs are provided, as usual,witl1 annular rims 11, adapted to rotate in socket-bearings in the side walls of the latch-casing,.and the knob-shanksare they'are made angular to iit the angularsockcasing has been secured in its receiving-moruntil the in'ner portions of the knobs rest against the socket-bearings or rose 12, and then the .shanks are inserted into the latch-casing and tipped forward untiltheir hooked ends 10 engage the lateral recesses 9 at the inner edge of their angular sockets, when the knob-Shanks are turned backinto line with each other and the escutcheon firmly secured in position, leaving the knob-Shanks in the position shown in Eig. 2. The parts being now in proper relative position,either one ofthe hubs can be rotated by its knob-shank, thereby actuating its own yoke to operate the latch-bolt, one shank being entirelyfree ofthe other and the motion of o ne not changing or affecting the position of the other. y

In order to resist. the strain on the coverwhich results from pulling and otherwise manipulating the knob-shank at that side of the door, we provide the cover-plate with an inthe hub, and secure this flange by a screw, 16, passing through the rear edge of the latchcasing into saidiiange, as shown in Fig. 2, the cover-plate being also secured at or near its center by the usual screws, 17.

plied to a single hub for operating the ordinary yoke which actuates the latch-bolt. The

9, in the'form of an open slot formed through the hub, and the hooked ends of both knobcylindrical, except at their inner ends, where tise they are passed through the escutcheons ets in the hubs. The knob-Shanks are supplate 14 of the latch-case adjacent tothe hub, f'

,wardly-proj ecting flange, 15, directly in rear of In Eig. 5 wehave shown the invention aprooI hub in this instance is provided with arecess,

shanks engage this recess. It will, of course, be obvious that in this constructiomwhile the knob-Shanks are independent, the movement of vone in rotating the hub to actuate the latchbolt imparts motion to the other through the hub; but still the knob-shanks possess the advantage of being separate. The single hub renders the lock-latch less expensive and complicated7 and enables the invention to be applied to the cheap grades of mortise-locks,and it can thus be generally used ,Without increasing the cost of the locks in any particular. It will be evident that the invention can be applied to lock-latches alreadyT constructed or in use by simply removing therefrom the ordinary hub and applying our hub or hubs,with which the independent hooked knob-Shanks can be made to engage orconnect; and, finally, Where a knob-latch is provided With a hub and hooked knob-shanks, as in our invention, the usual through-spindle can be used if occasion demands.

Instead of so constructing the parts that the hooks on the ends of the independent knobshanks engage a recess in the rotating hub, such hooks can be made to engage the inner face of the lock-casing, and the angular ends 18 of the shanks caused to enter the angulaisocket 8 in thehub orhubs 4, as shown in Fig. 5.

We are aware that independent knob-shanks have heretofore been provided with projections at their inner ends' to engage the side Walls of the latch-casing, and also that rotating hubs have been employed to actuate the latch-bolt; but we are not aware that a rotating hub has been so combined With independent shanks having hooked ends to prevent their outward displacement, such shanks entering the hub at their innervends for rotating said hubs. This materially simplifies the con# struction of the latch, and consequently renders its manufacture comparatively less eX- pensive than heretofore.

Having thus described our invention, What We claim is-- The combination of independent knob- Shanks having hooked inner ends with a rotating hub having a socket to receive such inner end of the shank, substantially as and for the purpose described. Y

ln testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

EUGENE M. MIX. JAMES E. MIX. Witnesses:

WILLIAM E. HoLcoMn, JOHN K. PA'rToN. 

